Lord of the Flies  

Chapter Three: Huts on the Beach

In this chapter the Ralph and Jack show sharp disagreement on how to lead the group. Jack wants to hunt for pigs, while Ralph wants to build huts for shelter. We get to know another  important character better, Simon. He is unlike Ralph, Jack and Piggy, but plays an important role in the society and starts to assert some leadership qualities as well.

In the comments section below, tell me whether or not you agree with Ralph, that huts need to be built first, or Jack, that pigs must be hunted first. Why do you think so?

Test your knowledge of chapter three by taking this online quiz.

Here is a link to our vocabulary video slideshows for chapter 3.

Lord of the Flies  

Chapter Two: Fire on the Mountain

In this chapter the boys begin to organize in groups, most importantly, the leadership and the hunters. 

The main characters are Ralph, Jack and "Piggy."
Which of the boys do you think represents morality and leadership? 
Which one represents desire for power and selfishness?
Who stands for rationality and intellectualism?

In the comments section below, tell me which characters stand for which trait, and why.

Here is a link to the audio Chapter two starts at 53:14 and ends at 1:25:20. Remember you can slow it down to .75 speed, which is what we were listening to in class.

Test your knowledge of chapter two by taking this online quiz.

A Visit to the Museum of Jewish Heritage

Wednesday, April 18 6-8 PM

In honor of Holocaust Remembrance (April 8-26) we will visit the Museum of Jewish Heritage. 

The museum is a very short walk from here. We can meet in the lobby at 6 PM and continue to the second floor. The museum's collection contains more than 25,000 items relating to modern Jewish history and the Holocaust. 

This topic relates directly to the novel Lord of the Flies, and it is especially important because of a new study which shows that many millennials (people born between 1982 and 2004) don't know about the Auschwitz death camp and the true number of Jews murdered in the Holocaust.

Scott Simon from National Public Radio (NPR) did a short story on this topic. Listen here.

In the comments section below, tell me about something you learned about the Holocaust at the museum after our visit.

Lord of the Flies             

Chapter One: The Sound of the Shell    

This is the longest of all of the chapters, but it is where you will meet the main characters: Ralph, "Piggy," Jack, Simon, Roger, Sam and Eric (also referred to as "Samneric").


In order to get started, and so we are all on the "same page," please do the following assignment by Monday:


1 - Finish reading and listening to chapter one.

2- Start to fill in the character lists on pages 5-8 of the workbook. 

3- Think about the questions for chapter one on pages 9 and 10 of the workbook.

Here is a link to the audio. Chapter one ends at 53:14. Remember you can slow it down to .75 speed, which is what we were listening to in class.

In the comments section below, tell me what you think of the novel so far.

Test your knowledge of chapter one by taking this online quiz.

Lord of the Flies  

by William Golding 

During an unnamed atomic war, a plane carrying a group of British schoolboys is shot down over the Pacific Ocean. Some of the boys survive the crash and find themselves on an uninhabited island, where they are alone without adult supervision.

What happens next is a study in human behavior.

With themes of:
Civilization vs. Savagery 
(Loss of) Innocence
Power and Leadership
Fear
Nature vs. Nurture
What others can you think of?


Golding's story asks the question, "What is man's true nature"?  

Here are two videos to get us started. 

This is called the Stanford Prison Experiment where two groups of college students were asked to play the roles of prisoners and prisoners. It is a study about the corrupting influence of power.  

The video also includes an excerpt of the Milgram Disobedience Experiment where participants were asked to give electric shocks to other participants who answered questions incorrectly. This is a study about the influence of authority figures and responsibility. 

Here is a video of two men from the Milgram experiment who, unlike a majority of participants, defied authority.

In the comments section below, tell me what you think. Are humans naturally good, or naturally self-serving, and in need of rules of morality?